Combined desk



April 29 1924..

C. W. HALL COMBINED DESK F1163 "Feb. 14

1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l (*hnries WHaU J'NVENTOR ATTORNEY.

April 29, 1924. 1,492,455

C. W. HALL COMBINED DESK Charles WHLLZQ 34 a3 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 29, lQZt-t ere sr CHARLES W. HALL, OF VALPAR-AIQSO, INDIANA.

l COMBINED DESK.

Application filed February 14, 1922. Serial No. 538,405.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Desks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to combined desks and blackboards and is an improvement upon the desk and blackboard for which application was filed by me on April 19, 1921, under Serial Number 452,499.

lhe object of the present invention is to improve certain features of the invention shown and described in the aforesaid application, whereby the invention there described is improved upon and rendered more eficient than heretofore and particularly with respect to facility of construction and efficiency of operation.

lhe invention comprises a casing which may be of strip and panel construction and includes a basic portion with an upright section and strips forming a housing in which is hung an easel or book-rack on a hinge strip pivoted at the ends in the upper part of the casing and provided with engaging members capable of sliding in guiding slots so that the easel may be positioned forwardly at the lower end and there held against retraction until the operator so desires. In addition to the easel is a blackboard and desk member capable of being locked in a lower projected position and held at a slight angle of inclination whereby to be elevated at the rear end and at the front end supported upon a table or the like, whereby the forwardly slanting member may be locked against accidental displacement and be used as a writing desk or for any other desired purpose. llhe desk is held in place by spring looks or latches, automatically moving to the locking position and readily displaced from the locking position at the will of the operator whereby the writing desk or blackboard is readily. folded up to an upright position thus housing other parts of the structure for storage.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to any exact conformity with the showing of. the draw ings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:- 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desk and blackboard in the extended position, ready for use.

Fig. 2 is an upright section of the combined blackboard and easel or bookrack in the folded up position. v

Fig. 3 is a more or less fragmentary upright section of the invention on a scale similar to that of Fig. 2 and showing the parts ready for use.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through i the lower end of the casing andshowing one of the spring latches or looks in the engaging position.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the writing desk in the extended position, but omitting the casing and limited to one end of the blackboard or desk.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the upper end of the easel showing the method of mounting said easel or bookrack.

Fig. 7 is a detail section illustrating the means of mounting the structure upon a wall. I

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a body member 1 including top and bottom horizontal strips 2 and 3 respectively, the bottom strip being designed to rest upon a table or floor and connected at the back by a thin upright panel 4 while the top and bottom strips are connected by side uprights 5 of appropriately sturdy construction and serving to stiifen and strengthen the entire structure.

Pivoted at opposite ends in the casing 1 immediately under the top 2 is the upper end of an easel or bookrack 6 having attached to its upper edge an elongated bar 7 with pivot or trunnion ends 8 seated in sockets 9 formed in the inner faces of the uprights 50 The easel or bookrack 6 may be formed of thin material made fast in any suitable manner to the bar 7 at its upper end and at the lower end or edge carrying a pencil or chalk channel 10. v

Extending lengthwise of one of the side members 5 in its inner-face is a groove 11' in which engages the outturned end 12 of a swinging prop 13, the latter at its other and ng ben at ht n s th i t the pivotal engagement of said prop with the lower end of the easel, so that the prop serves as a crank which will ride by its end 12 up and down the groove 11* and thus cause the easel 6 to move in and out about the axis of the bar 7 as a pivot, thereby allowing the easel to assume a suitable position when pulled outwardly to support a book or other object and on the lowering of said easel to lie within the body. Formed in the side member havingthe groove 11 near the upper end of the latter is a notch orrecess 11 constituting a seat for the end 12 of the prop 13, so that when the easel 6 is pulled outwardly to position for supporting a book or other object the said end 12 can be brought into engagement in the notch or recess 11 and the weight of the book or other object placed upon the easel will react upon the prop in such a manner as to hold the easel in'the adjusted position against any ordinary force tending to displace it. When it is desired to lower the easel 6 the operator gives a slight outward pull upon the same, thereby withdrawing the end 12 of the prop 13 from the notch or recess 11 and thus bringing the end 12 into the groove 11*, and thus on pressinginwardly upon the easel 6, the latter will be moved to lowered position within the body.

In each of the side members are formed grooves 14, each opening into a widened portion of an expanded entrance 15, for a pur pose presently described.

The expanded entrance 15 in the lower end portion of the inner faces of each end wall 5 forms spaced parallel walls 16, both inclined to a. point 17, where the lower end of the wall has a greater inclination than the upper wall 16.

Formed in the inner face of the end wall 5 at each side of the body below the point 17 and declined wall 18, is a groove 19, while forwardly of the latter is a way a, both the groove 19 and said way abeing for a purpose hereinafter set'forth.

The combined structure is also provided with apanel device 20 formed of a relatively thin body part 21 enclosed in a border frame 22, the frame and enclosed panel constituting a blackboard and desk top with the opposite surfaces appropriately finished for the purpose. That surface of the blackboard to be used for the reception of chalk may be finished with a blackboard paint, while the opposite surface may be finished with cloth or other material such as is customarily used on desk tops.

The blackboard or desk top 20 has short longitudinal ribs 23 at one end of the border frame 33.

One end of the desk top or blackboard 21 fits into the grooves 24 and projects from the main upright frame of the device.

The tongues 23 engaging in the grooves 24 hold the blackboard when in the upright position with the other end of the blackboard engaging the bottom strip 3 of the main frame whereby the blackboard or desk top is locked in the upright position by the tongues 23 at one end and by engaging behind short upright posts 25 rising from the strip 3. Under these circumstances, the desk top or blackboard 21 islocked by engagement in the groove 15 and slants forwardly therefrom until the forward end of the blackboard rests upon the table supporting the structure. When the blackboard is folded upwardly, the lower end seats in the groove back of the post 25 and the tongues 23 drop into and lock within the grooves 24.

In order to hold the blackboard or desk top in either the folded up position or in the extended condition, spring latches 26 are provided, these devices being best shown in Fig. 4. Each latch comprises a piece of spring wire of suitablelength reversely bent on itself with one end 27 formed into a sharpened prong at right angles to the general length of the latch and is driven into therespective side 5 at an appropriate distance from the top of the blackboard 20 when the latter is extended. The latch 26 is formed with an intermediate bend 28 returned upon itself so as to surround the corresponding edge of the body 21, as shown in Fig. 4.

The bend 28 is so shaped as to embrace the edge of the blackboard'structure and seat in a groove or notch 29 in the edge of the blackboard structure, while the latch has a tendency to move into the notch 29 and thus hold the blackboard so that it may remain in the forwardly inclined position with the frontof the blackboard resting upon the desk or table or other structure carrying the blackboard.

Each spring latch 26 terminates at the end remote from the carrying prong 27 in a manipulating head 30 by means of which the latch may be moved out of embracing relation to the notch 29 and the blackboard structure may be released for movement to the upright position. In order to hold the spring latches in the engaging position, a retaining clip 31 is driven into the respective sides 5 so as to cover the groove 19 and the latch 26 has imparted to it a normal tendency toward the clip 31.

In order to release the blackboard or desk top, the spring latches are pressed outwardly toward the side members 5 and the blackboard or desk top is rocked until it escapes from the latches, after which'it may be lifted to the upright position and then dropped so that the notched end will drop to the strip 3 and the tongues 23 will drop into the groove 24.

When using the invention as a desk, border strips 32 and 33 are employed, the strips 33 having the tongues 23 and the strips 32 Ill having their end portions 34: cut away so that no difficulty is encountered in removing accumulations of any kind therefrom.

In order to increase the utility of the structure, chalk or crayon holders 35 are secured to the back panel of the body member as shown in Fig. 1, with elastic strands 36 for retaining the crayon without injury to them and without interference with the removal of the crayon.

In order to further extend the usefulness or utility of the device, channels 37 are produced in the strip 5 while hooks 38 may be screwed into a wall 39 or other support so that the hooks may be caused to en age pins 40 for sustaining the device of the invention in a suspended position.

In order to save the wall 39 from injury, a layer 41 of fabric or other material is applied to the rear panel of the structure.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the character described, a casing having grooves in its side walls at the top and bottom thereof, a removable cover slidably engaging in said grooves and constituting a blackboard at one face thereof, said casing having means to receive the cover when removed from the upper grooves to hold it open at a forward inclination, and manually releasable spring latches positioned in the side walls of the casing and having ofl'set portions overlapping and detachably engaging in the sides of the cover for holding the latter in an extended position, said latches extending transversely of said means and having their lower ends secured to the side walls of the casing and their upper inner end projecting above the ends of the cover so that access can be had to the latches to release them from the cover, said side walls provided with means to constitute clearances when shifting the latches to released position.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing having grooves in its side walls at the top and bottom thereof, a removable cover slidably engaging in said grooves and constituting a blackboard at one face thereof, said casing having means to receive the cover when removed from the upper grooves to hold it open at a forward inclination, oppositely disposed manually releasable spring latches positioned in the lower portions of the side walls of the casing and formed with effect portions overlapping and detachably engaging in the sides of the cover for holding the latter in an extended position, said latches extending transversely of said means and having their lower ends secured to the side walls of the casing and their upper ends projecting above the inner end of the cover so that access can be had to release them from the cover, said side Walls provided with means to constitute clearances when shifting the latches to released position, and retaining devices secured to said side walls for said latches and arranged over the lower portion of the latches.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

CHARLES W. HALL. 

